Bobbin retaining clip for shuttle



Nov. 28, 1961 E. GRUNKE BOBBIN RETAINING CLIP FOR SHUTTLE Filed Dec. 21, 1959 2 Sheets-Shget l FIG. 6

INVENTOR I Erich GRi/NKE Nov. 28, 1961 E. GRUNKE 8 BOBBIN RETAINING CLIP FOR SHUTTLE Filed Dec. 21, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 20

IN 75 NI'DR Erich GRZI'IVKE United States Patent 3,010,485 BOBBIN RETAINING CLIP FOR SHUTTLE Erich Griinke, Hinwil-Zurich, Switzerland, assignor to Emil Forster, Hinwil-Zurich, Switzerland Filed Dec. 21, B59, Ser. No. 861,141 Claims priority, application Germany Dec. 23, 1958 5 Claims. (Cl. 139-207) The present invention relates to loom shuttles.

The gripping or holding of the weft thread bobbin in loom shuttles is usually efiected by means of a resilient stirrup-like clip the jaws of which exert a clamping action on the thread bobbin.

In the method of gripping which is generally adopted in practice, the clip which is firmly mounted in the loom shuttle has two resilient shanks or jaws the free ends of which are spread apart and the opposite ends merge into a neck portion. The shanks and the neck portion of the clip are formed of one piece. The resilient forces acting on the ends of the shanks of the clamping stirrup are constant and this involves a serius disadvantage in practice inasmuch as the clamping force with which the weft thread bobbin is held in the clip during a weaving operation must, in fact, always differ according to the nature of the weaving material, i.e. whether silk, wool, cotton or artificial silk are being woven. In order to comply with this requirement mills have hitherto been complelled to obtain and stock several sets of clamping clips, each providing for different resilient loading of the shanks of the clips. In the result the appropriate type of clip suitable for the material to be woven is selected and fitted in the loom shuttle.

Another somewhat simpler, yet much more expensive, known method is to obtain several sets of complete shuttles in which clips, which are varied in their clamping action, are rigidly fitted in each set.

Since in modern mills looms are operated at high speeds the individual weft thread bobbins must have a much better fit in their clips than was hitherto the case. An increase of the clamping pressure by selection of larger wall thicknesses in the manufacture of the clips leads to a hard throw of the bobbin. The change of bobbin is efiected, as is well known, in such manner that a replacement bobbin having a full weft thread expels an empty bobbin from the bottom of the shuttle by mechanical and automatic means with the aid of suitable percussion instruments.

The present invention surmounts the described 1%- culties by attempting to bring-into harmony or balance factors which partly conflict. This is achieved mainly by the feature that the clamping forces of the clip jaws or shanks which act on the head of the Weft thread bobbin, known technically as a cop, are variably adjustable by applying additional forces by way of additional spring elements on one or both jaws of the clip, the measurement of these additional forces being infinitely variable between predetermined limits, one of which is zero.

In this manner the entire weaving programme carried out on a loom can be controlled with a single type of clip or clamping stirrup and the purchase and storing of different constructions of clamping stirrups adapted to the nature of the material to be woven, or the use of a complete shuttle with a dillerent fixed position of the weft thread bobbin are rendered unnecessary.

This is hi hly advantageous when it is considered what large numbers of shuttles are required by a modern loom. In particular however because of the additional spring forces acting on the weft thread bobbin the invention ensures a very rigid fit of the weft thread bobbin in the shuttle. This advantage is obtained without any disad- 3,6lii,485

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on the contrary ensures, despite the advantage mentioned, a very soft throw during the change of bobbins.

In the main these advantageous effects can be obtained by the use of a clip which is constructed in one piece.

Even better eifects, however, are obtained if, according to a further feature of the present invention, the clamping stirrup or clip used for gripping the bobbin is made of two parts appropriately articulated together. In such event it has proved to be an advantage to construct the articulated connection of the two jaws or shanks of the clip as a hinge.

Furthermore various possibilities exist with regard to the position of the hinge. In the usual construction of the clip wherein the jaws or shanks resemble a tuning fork, i.e. are disposed flatly on each other over a comparatively long length in a neck portion, the hinge will usually be arranged at the end of the said neck portion.

However, the present invention includes as a further feature a construction of clip embodying a hinge which is characterised in that one jaw is relatively short and terminates in a straight line, while the other jaw encloses the shorter and extends parallel to the outer side thereof. In such an arrangement of clip the hinge is located on the point of transition of the jaws into the neck portion.

Again variations are possible in respect of the point of engagement of the additional spring elements on the clip and also the nature and construction or" said elements which produce the additional spring forces. In the case of clips which are made in one piece the spring elements exerting the additional forces on the clip jaws are allowed to engage in that region of the clip wherein the jaws are parallel to each other.

In order to produce the additional spring forces, coil or leaf springs, rubber cushions or other suitable resilient members may be used. However, nests or assemblies of plate springs have proved to be very suitable in this respect as by such means resilient forces of considerable extent can be produced with springs of quite short length. By changing the number of the plate springs and the mounting arrangement of the individual elements of a nest or assembly any requirement with regard to spring movement and clamping pressure can be met in a very easy manner.

A still further important feature of the invention resides in the fact that the parts serving to secure the weft thread bobbin, in particular the clip, the so-called bridge and the additional spring elements, are so constructed and associated that they form a unitary structure which as a whole can be fitted into, and removed from, the shuttle.

Further features of the present invention and details of the advantages achieved thereby will be apparent from vantages in other respects such as a much harder throw or impact. The securing means of the present invention the following description of two embodiments of the clip for weft thread bobbins and shuttles which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings by way of example and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view showing one form of clip constructed according to the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a .view in elevation of the clip of HG- URE 1 showing part of the shuttle in section relative to FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation of the clip and a threaded bolt or pin for fixing said clip in the shuttle;

FIGURE 4 is a View of the clip turned through relatively to FIGURE 3, but without the fixing bolt or P FIGURE 5 illustrates in side view the carrier for the additional spring elements;

FIGURE 6 is an end view of the carrier of FlG- URE 5;

FIGURE 7 is an end view of a lock nut for the illustrated in FlGURE 5 and bolt FIGURE 8 is a side elevation of said lock nut;

FIGURE 9 shows in plan view one of the plate springs which produce the additional spring forces and FIGURE 10 is a corresponding side elevational view thereof;

FIGURE 11 is a plan view of the second embodiment of clip;

FIGURE 12 is a corresponding elevational view partly in section; 7

FIGURE 13 illustrates in side elevation a bipartite construction of the clip suitable particularly for use with the second embodiment;

FIGURE 14 is an elevation turned through 90 relatively to FIGURE 13 and omitting the fixing bolt illustrated therein;

FIGURE 15 is a side view showing the carrier for the additional spring elements;

FIGURE 16 is a corresponding end view to that of FIGURE 15;

FIGURE 17 is an end view illustrating a lock nut for the threaded bolt of FIGURE 15;

FIGURE 18 is a corresponding side view thereof;

FIGURE 19 illustrates in plan view one of the plate springs for producing the additional spring forces;

FIGURE 20 is a corresponding view in side elevation of the spring of FIGURE 19.

In the accompanying drawings, the body of a shuttle consisting usually of wood is indicated by 1, and in the shuttle there is provided in known manner a cavity 2 extending throughout the entire depth of said shuttle and longitudinally thereof for the reception of a weft thread bobbin 4. FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings show merely the head portion 3'of the weft thread bobbin 4 which is technically termed cop and is detachably connected to the shuttle by a clamping action.

For this purpose a clip indicated as a whole by 5 is incorporated in the body 1 of the shuttle and, as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, is similar in shape to a tuning fork. The clip 5 is of rectangular cross section and has forwardly extending jawsor shanks 6, 7 which are so shaped that they approach each other towards a neck portion 8 wherein they lie parallel to each other with a small space between them. The jaws or shanks merge together at the end of the neck to form an eyelet 9 'through which passes a bolt 10 by means of which the clip, which in this embodiment is in one part, is secured in the body 1 of the shuttle.

Recesses 11 are provided in the inner faces of the jaws 6, 7 in the region of their free ends for improving the clamping effect of the jaws on the head of the bobbin which in known manner have annular rings, 12 for this purpose.

To secure a clip 5 in position the usual bridge 13, which consists of an appropriately bent fiat metallic strip, is provided. For this purpose one end of the bolt 10 passing through the eyelet 9 of the clip 5 is supported by a conical head 14 in one shankof the bridge 13. The other and threaded end 15 of the bolt 10 passes through the second shank of the bridge and terminates in a recess 16 formed in the body 1 of the shuttle. The recess 16 is so formed that suflicient play for the application and screwing on of a lock nut 17 remains and, as shown in FIGURE 2, this lock nut is accommodated in a countersunk recess 16 in the shuttle body when fully screwed into position.

The bridge 13 is also secured in the body 1 of the shuttle by means of a bolt 18 which passes through both shanks of the bridge and is inserted by a conical head '18 into a conical bore in the bridge shank. On an extended shaft end of the bolt 18 there is screwed a lock nut 19 which is also countersunk in a recess 20 of the clip and the material from which it is made are adjustable in that additional spring forces are exerted on the two jaws of the clip by means of additional resilient elements which operate in the following manner:

In the neck portions 8 of each of the clip jaws shanks extending in this case parallel to and at a slight spacing from each other, there is formed a bore 21 through which the smooth shaft of a bolt 22 passes. The latter serves as a carrier for spring elements which in this embodiment exert additional forces externally on the jaws of the clip 5 tending to force them inwardly of each other. The said spring elements comprise nests or assemblies of plate springs 23 which are the same on both sides of the clip, the individual plate springs being constructed as shown in FIGURES 9 and 10.

One of the two assemblies of plate springs 23, which are disposed in series on the bolt 22, is supported at one end against an outer face of the neck portion 8 of the olip 5 and at the other end against a head 24 of the bolt 22. The other assembly is supported between the outer face of the other jaw of the clip and a lock nut 26 screwed on a threaded portion 25 of the bolt 22.

The head 24 of the bolt 22 and a lock nut 26 are so designed as to permit in a very simple manner, e.g. with the aid of spanners, screw drivers or other tools, a finely graduated adjustment, which is variable between zero and the maximum, of the spring forces exerted by the assemblies of the plate springs 23 on the jaws 6, 7 of the clip.

The essential parts serving to secure the bobbin 4, mainly the clip 5 and the bridge 13, are combined to form into a unitary structure which can be removed as a selfcontained whole from the shuttle after the two lock nuts 17 and 19 have been loosened and the screw bolts '10 and 18 partially withdrawn.

The second embodiment of the device for mounting the weft thread bobbin as illustrated in FIGURES 1 1-20 primarily involves a modified form of construction of clip which is of a multipartite nature. Where the parts and the constructions thereof are practically identical with those in FIGURES 1-10 they have been given the same reference numerals as in FIGURES 1-10 for the sake of simplicity, but are provided with'a prime symbol and are not specifically described again.

In this second embodiment the clip comprises two pivotally interconnected parts. Accordingly the resilient end 7' of one jaw terminates in a shortened neck portion 30 extending in a straight line. In the second clip part, as shown in FIGURE 14 the resilient jaw 6' terminates in a U-shaped end portion 31 which encloses the end, 30 of the first jaw as it extends parallel to the outside of the shortened neck portion 30. I 7

The two jaw members 7', 30 and 6', 31 are interconnected at a hinge. The latter is formed by providing the spread shank members 6', 7, at the places where they merge together, with the bearings lugs 32, 33 through which a pin 34 passes. The two shank members thus are able to pivot relative to each other about the axis of the pin 34 in the manner of pincers.

A bolt 18" having a conical head 18" operates similarly to the bolt 10 of the embodiment in FIGURES 1-10 for the purpose of securing the substantially identical bridge 13f to the body 1 of the shuttle. Deviating from the first embodiment, however, the pivot pin 34, which is fixed with its countersunk head 34' in the bridge 13' extends through the second shank of the bridge and passes through the wall of the body 1 of the'shuttle where a lock nut 36, housed in a recess 35 of the-shuttle body 1, is screwed on to the threaded end portion 34 of the pin 34.

In the embodiment according to FIGURES 11-20, contraryto the form shown in FIGURES 1-10, there is provided for producing the additional spring forces acting on the spreaded ends of the shanks of the clamping stirrup,

vonly one nest or assembly of plate springs 23 which is indicated as a whole by 38 (FIGURE 11). The'plate springs are arranged in series on a pin or bolt 22 extending in the transverse direction, i.e. parallel to the flat side of the shanks of the clip. In this construction one end of the assembly 38 of the plate springs is supported against the inner wall of the shortened neck portion 30 of the clip, whereas the terminal spring of the other nest of plate springs is in contact with the inside of the U-shaped neck member 31 of the other jaw of the clip.

The pin or bolt 22 has a head 24 which is provided at the front with the usual slot while the lock nut 26' is screwed on to the other or threaded end portion 25' of the pin. The head 24' and the associated look nut 26 are guided in a recess 27 passing through the shuttle.

By adjusting the nut 26 the additional spring forces acting on the ends of the spreaded shanks 6', 7' of the clip can be varied from zero to a maximum.

Again in the modification, as in the construction according to FIGURES 1-10, the essential parts serving to secure the weft thread bobbin in the shuttle, viz. the clip and the bridge form a coherent or unitary structure.

In the foregoing, the invention has been described with reference to a specific illustrative device. It will be evident, however, that variations and modifications, as well as the substitution of equivalent elements for those illustrated, may be made without departing from the scope and broader spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. The specification and drawings are accordingly to be regarded in an illustrative rather than in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In a loom shuttle comprising, in combination, a shuttle body, a bobbin retaining clip having a pair of resilent jaws for supporting the weft thread bobbin between them at one end and forming a neck portion at the other end, a bridge member and bolt means for anchoring said bridge member; means for adjusting the clamping forces of said jaws including a tightening bolt entending transversely of said bridge member into said neck portion and a plurality of spring elements supported by said tightening bolt and biased against said neck portion, capable of exerting additional pressure on said jaws.

2. In a loom shuttle comprising, in combination, a shuttle body, a bobbin retaining clip having a pair of resilient jaws for supporting the weft thread bobbin between them at one end and forming a neck portion at the other end, a bridge member and bolt means for anchoring said bridge member; means for adjusting the clamping forces of said jaws including a tightening bolt extending transversely of said bridge member into said neck portion and a plurality of spring elements supported by said tightening bolt and biased against said neck portion,

capable of exerting additional pressure on said jaws, said spring elements being arranged in nests between the outer sides of said neck portion and the respective head and nut on said tightening bolt.

3. In a loom shuttle comprising, in combination, a shuttle body, a bobbin retaining clip having a pair of resilient jaws for supporting the weft thread bobbin between them at one end and forming a neck portion at the other end, a bridge member and bolt means for anchoring said bridge member; means for adjusting the clamping forces of said jaws including a tightening bolt extending transversely of said bridge member into said neck portion and a plurality of spring elements supported by said tightening bolt and biased against said neck portion, capable of exerting additional pressure on said jaws, said spring elements being arranged intermediate said neck portion and said clip having lugs having apertures extending inwardly of said jaws proximate said neck portion, and a pivot bolt extending through said apertures defining with said lugs a hinge.

4. In a loom shuttle comprising, in combination, a shuttle body, a bobbin retaining clip having a pair of resilient jaws for supporting the weft thread bobbin between them at one end and forming a neck portion at the other end, a bridge member and bolt means for anchoring said bridge member; means for adjusting the clamping forces of said jaws including a tightening bolt extending transversely of said bridge member into said neck portion and a plurality of spring elements supported by said tightening bolt and biased against said neck portion, capable of exerting additional pressure on said jaws, said spring elements being arranged intermediate said neck portion and said clip having lugs having apertures extending inwardly of said jaws proximate said neck portion, and a pivot bolt extending through said apertures defining with said lugs a hinge, one part of said neck portion being shorter than the other and the other part of said neck portion extending around said shorter part and having a portion in engagement with the outer surface of said shorter part.

5. Means in accordance with claim 4 wherein said pivot bolt extends also through said bridge and into the body of said shuttle and is suported by said shuttle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 616,297 Draper Dec. 20, 1898 1,784,266 Bahan Dec. 9, 1-930 2,778,381 Collins Jan. 22, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 640,200 Great Britain July 1- 1950 

